


Forever young

by Melyaliz



Series: Wings [1]
Category: DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Tim Drake fluff, Tim Drake is Red Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-04 22:26:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16798258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melyaliz/pseuds/Melyaliz
Summary: You stop aging at a certain age, until you meet your soulmate and grow old together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Soulmate AU with my OC Faith. There is more of her on my Tumblr. I will continue to add her stuff here under the Wings series.

“He’s in here,” the nurse said leading the young 14-year-old girl through the building.

“I’m sorry, I thought all his family was dead,” she said skeptically looking over the brunette who smiled, the large bunch of sunflowers in her arms. Her brown hair in a messy ponytail, she had a slightly unkempt look about her.

“I’m a great niece,” she said flashing the nurse a smile. She nodded opening the door to the small room where an old man lay in a bed looking out a large bay window.

“Hey Tony, you have a visitor” The man turned and his tired eyes grew wide. He slowly tried to prop himself up.

The girl gently put a hand out to stop him, “it’s ok just lay there, I’ll come to you” then turning to the nurse she flashed her a smile, “Thank you” nodding the nurse left. 

“So,” the girl asked picking up an empty vase putting the flowers into it “Did you see the moon landing last week?” The man watched her, tears welling up in his eyes as the girl placed the flowers on the table next to the window before crawling into bed with him laying next to the older man.

The man took her hands in his own kissing her fingertips.

“Hey little brother, how are you?” the girl asked.

You stopped aging at the age you would meet your Soulmate was the theory. It was a rare soulmate mark and normally only lasted for a few years if that. How did you know you had this particular style of soulmate mark? Your heart would stop.

So two months after her 14th birthday when Faith woke up gasping for air, she knew something was wrong.

Her mother had come running only to tell her younger daughter that it was normal, that her heart would beat again once she met the person she was meant to grow old with.

So at that moment forward Faith stopped growing, stopped aging.

While the world around her kept moving forward she was stuck in a 14-year-old girl’s body. Forced to watch her family grow old. Slowly dying with the person they were supposed to be with.

Leaving her alone for over so long she couldn’t quite remember.

She had run away from home when her youngest brother had gone to college, scared she would be a burden to her family. Scared to watched them grow past her, to die while she stayed forever young.

She didn’t realize her selfish mistake until it was too late. While Tony was laying in in a nursing home on his last few days. She lay with him in his final moments telling him about her journey around the world. Picking up work and doing what she could to stay alive.

Telling him about the people she had met and lost.

About how she had learned no to rely on anyone because they would all eventually leave her. Grow up and go on to their lives.

Leaving her alone again.

She told him about her fear that she would never be able to move on. Never find someone to break this curse she had. And how part of her didn’t want anyone anymore. She so used to being alone she wasn’t sure she could have someone else in her life again.

He had passed on that night. Laying there holding her hands whispering that he loved her and that she would find her soulmate. That she wouldn’t be alone anymore.

And as the sun broke through the horizon she disappeared again, back to the world of ever moving while she stood still.

Years later she found herself in Gotham. She had just been passing through but there was some work for a kid like her. Someone who no one noticed. She was a nobody, just another orphan on the streets of a city of orphans.

But this orphan had seen it all, she had survived two world wars and so many other events that this orphan knew how to gain any system. She started to sell her secrets to the highest bidder. Never revealing who she was leaving them with clues like messages in bottles.

Payment first, messages second. 

It was a great system that had worked for 20 years now.

Until the day a boy by the name of Red Robin needed information on a gang of drug smugglers.

Faith never discriminated when it came to those seeking information. If you paid her she would provide it. She had even given the great Batman information now and then, but she had never had the pleasure of meeting of these or any of her other clients.

However, the rumors were true, he was the greatest detective there was. Most people wouldn’t look twice at a young girl. She could sit right next to them as they read her message and never look twice. (And yes, she once stood right behind a gangster reading her own message over his shoulder and he never looked twice) 

But he did, he found her across the street munching on an apple she had stolen. 

“You’re the informant? How can you be this young?”

She turned shocked, her hazel eyes flashing as she took stock of the boy in front of her. Then quickly she kicked him in the face breaking his nose. She wasn’t going to get caught. She wasn’t going to be taken. She had lived this long without anyone interfering and some boy in a silly bird costume sure wasn’t going to break that streak.

She was already several blocks away when she felt it.

Her heart.

Beating in her chest, pounding blood through her veins as the adrenalin of her actions flooded through her system. Gasping for breath she leaned heavily on the broken brick of an abandoned building. Taking a few deeps breaths she placed her hand on her chest.

No, not now, not him…

She heard him before she saw him. Running up toward her. Quickly she spun around throwing a punch which he deflected, repaired this time. He grabbed her arm as she tried to swing at him again, “You’re… you’re my…”

“Don’t say it!” she snapped at him trying to pull her arms out of his grasp, “I have spent almost 200 years waiting for you and it’s too late now!”

He pulled off his mask revealing his face, soft blue eyes that studied her as she tried to pull away from him. “I… I’m sorry”

“Let me go!” Faith said trying to pull away.

“Not until you stop trying to run.”

She stopped, her hazel eyes meeting his blue ones in a death stare. Studying him, this was the man her heart had been waiting for. Well her heart would have to just forget it because her mind had given up a long time ago. Gently his grip loosened and she took a sharp step back eyes hard. If looks could kill the latest boy wonder would be dead. 

Both of them stood there, unsure of what to do next.

“My name is Tim,” he said holding out his hand, “Tim Drake”

She eyed his hand before she glanced back at him. She didn’t care, soulmate or not, she didn’t trust this boy who gave himself up so easily. “Faith”

“Well Faith, why not give me some faith that this is meant to be. Your heart is beating just like mine so you know we are meant to be together.”

She cracked a smile, she couldn’t help it. She was a sucker for puns.

He relief washed over him as he smiled back, “Are you hungry?“

She nodded slowly. Soulmate or not, Faith was never one to pass up a free meal, especially since finding food wasn’t the easiest. 

“And what about new clothes? Maybe a shower?” he asked shyly pushing his luck. He may have pushed too hard as her eyes narrowed.

“Oh, are you saying that I don’t smell like the women of your dreams?”

“No! I just mean… you mustn’t have a great place… since you said…”

She broke into a smile a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “Where is this shower you speak of?”

He let out a long sigh, ok so she had a sense of humor.

“This doesn’t mean I’m staying with you, but hot water sounds amazing.”

—-

To say Alfred was a little surprised when Tim brought back the messy girl was an understatement.

“You are becoming more and more like Bruce,” he told the boy after Tim had left Faith laughing excitedly at the sensation of hot water and soap.

“She’s my soulmate” Tim said staring at the door or the bedroom he had left her in. “And she’s been alive for 200 years.” he sighed running his fingers through his hair, “I feel guilty, she’s lived a life, probably more than one, alone waiting for me. How do I help her?”

“Well that shower seems to be a good start Master Tim.”

——

After her pure ecstasy that was her shower Faith found a fluffy white robe waiting for her hanging on the door. She stroked it letting her now clean fingers bury themselves in the soft fibers. Letting out a small giggle she quickly wrapped the robe around herself coming out into the bedroom. It was a large room with a four poster queen bed in the middle of it.

Letting out a squeal she ran forward throwing herself on the bed letting her body sink into the soft mattress. She was so overcome by the amazing level of comfort that was around her she couldn't’ stop giggling. This was unlike anything she had experienced in, well maybe ever. 

“Hey, are you decent?” Tim’s voice could be heard on the another side of the door.

“If I say no will you leave me to make love to this bed in peace?”

Tim peeked in to see Faith sprawled out on the bed. She glanced up at him from under a million pillows and blankets. “I’m sorry Tim but this is my real soulmate.” she let out a soft moan as she buried her face once again in a fluffy down pillow, “I’m in loooovvveee”

He laughed lightly walking in and gently sitting down on the edge of the bed. “We are having breakfast soon and…” his voice slowly trailed off as he watched her lay there. Eyes closed breathing slowly. “Did you fall asleep”

She grunted in response.

Slowly, as to not spook her, he scooted over so he was closer, she opened one eye watched him warily as he gently lay parallel to her, propped up on his elbows. “You can just sleep if you want.” 

She sighed watching him, body suddenly tense by his close presence. She wasn’t used to this, human contact. It had been a long time… almost 50 years long. her new heart beat was pulsing so fast it almost hurt as he slowly scooted closer. 

“I’m not going to hurt you” he mumbled slowly lowering himself so he was face to face with her. Only inches apart. Her eyes never left his, body ready to bolt at a moments notice. 

She almost told him she wasn’t scared of him. That she didn’t think he would hurt her. That wasn’t why she was scared, why she was tense. It was this heart that beat inside of her. The heavy feeling of it as it raced the closer the boy with the beautiful blue eye came closer. The feeling was fighting.

And she was scared she would get used to it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never growing with the world around you makes it hard to rely on anyone else.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, just laying next to each other, not touching just breathing the same air. So close it almost felt like they were touching. She hadn’t been this close to someone since… well since her youngest brother had died and with it the last of her known family.

Tim never moved, never wavered from his spot. Just laying there looking at her, thinking. As if studying her. She watched him for a while then slowly let exhaustion take over drifting off into a gentle slumber.

That was until Tim moved causing her to bolt awake jumping out of the bed, her hand’s clinging to her robe as she moved several feet from her plush cocoon that she had made for herself. Tim was sitting at the edge of his bed, holding his phone looking at her in shock, “Whoa, calm down, I just got a text. Breakfast is ready”

She blinked a few times retaining her sense of reality. “Where are my clothes,” she asked looking around.”

“Uhh Alfred is going to wash them, you can borrow some of mine if you want.” he said getting up going toward the closet.

“This is your room?” she asked looking around taking stock of her surroundings. Things like a very cluttered desk with two computers and a laptop, a bookshelf that was busting at the seams with books, and several pictures of the boy with two parents. Things she had missed the first time when she was only concerned with the amazing bed in the center of this chaos.

“You’re kind of a pig”

He laughed tossing her a Gotham High hoodie and some gym shorts. “Thanks, it’s a sign of a genius.”

“Real genius don’t believe they are genius”

“I think that’s crazy people.“ 

"Huh?" 

"You can’t be crazy if you know you are crazy" 

She shrugged taking the clothes, “Maybe. But I feel like you are wrong” she informed him as she walking back into the bathroom. The sound of his laughter could be heard as she closed the door looking down at the clothes he had given her. He was taller than her, while he wasn’t the tallest kid she had met he was still taller than her. Being short had been both a curse and a blessing these many years. It means people both didn’t notice her but also took pity on her. 

People naturally liked small things.

After changing she came back out holding out her arms, the sleeves slipping down over her hands. “Tada!” she said. The look on Tim’s face as he broke out into a smile made her stomach flip and her heart… her heart also skip? Or maybe it sped up. She wasn’t really sure seeing as she wasn’t used to this new organ working. Shifting slightly she shoved her hands into the pockets of the shorts that were more like capris on her.

“You said something about food?”

—

“How do you feel miss?” Alfred asked as Tim lead Faith down into the large dining room Besides the butler who she had met earlier there were two other boys. One was a young boy about 10 who was petting a dog while scowling at Tim as he walked in. Next to him was a boy who was slightly older with a white streak in his hair, feet propped up on the table.

Faith shrugged putting her hands out side to side tilting to her left “A little heavy on one side” she snickered. Alfred smiled nodding toward two open seats.

At the sight of a new human Titus slowly walked toward Faith who knelt down so she was eye level with the dog.

“Ohhh hello beautiful” she whispered holding her hand out so the dog could smell it. Slowly the dog came up licking her face she giggled petting him. She smiled up at Tim with childlike excitement.

“Is there anything this house doesn’t have?”

“A stable family unit,” Jason mumbled under his breath.

Getting up she took the seat next to Jason, the seat as far away from Tim as possible. Her soulmate watched her as she helped herself to pancakes and bacon while Damian snickered from across the table.

“You sure that’s your soulmate?” he asked skeptically. Faith looked up from her plate where she had been shoveling food into her mouth as if it was going out of style. Glancing from the two brothers who were now glaring at each other she shrugged and went back to eating.

“Food in my Soulmate” she mumbled between bites as she snuck a few bites to Titus who was now her best friend for life.

“Just make sure to breath short stack” Jason laughed, “as in inhaling air, not food.”

“I didn’t realize we were having guests this morning,” Bruce said entered the dining room. Faith glanced up slowly chewing her food taking a few gulps as she realized, for the first time, who’s mansion this was.

“This is Faith, she’s the informant,” Tim said glancing over at her. Faith’s eyes met his waiting for him to say the other thing. The real reason she was there. But he didn’t, he just went back to eating.

“Well it’s nice to put a face to a name”

“Wait… you’re batman!?!” she gasped, “Aren’t you Bruce Wayne?”

“Yes.”

“Huh, if I have as much money as you I wouldn’t be fighting crime.”

Tim choked on his food as Jason burst out laughing. Bruce, unfazed cut into his food taking a small bite.

“I like her” Jason whispered to Tim who was trying to dislodge the bit of pancake that had taken a leap into his windpipe.

“And what would you do?” Bruce asked Faith.

Faith shrugged, “I don’t know….” she chewed thoughtfully, “then again, maybe I would since I can’t think of anything else.”

—–

The next few days were spent helping Batman with a case that he and the team were working on. Because she had many connections (or ways to get connections) Faith agreed to help them out. After all, they were offering her a place where she could sleep and rest. Not to mention new clothes that Alfred had gotten for her.

So with her new living situation Faith hit the streets to continued to gather information bringing it back to Bruce and Tim. Tim wasn’t super thrilled in letting her continue her espionage.

During that time she fell into a system. Sleeping in Tim’s bed until he came home after a late night patrolling and then wait till he fell asleep next to her then move to the floor making sure to wake up before he did so he didn’t know.

She couldn’t help it. She was scared sleeping next to him. Feeling the warmth of his body near hers, the comfort of having another human close by. It was just too natural and she knew she would have to leave soon so she shouldn’t get attached. She couldn’t get attached.

When someone lives as long as she did all you see is the loss. All the people you learn to trust and care about had eventually left her or died. It’s the curse of never growing old. And even now, with her heart beating in her chest she couldn’t bring herself to take that risk again.

Or that’s what she told herself until the night a mission got out of control.

Tim had been working catching a drug ring. Faith had helped with some of the information because they were using street kids to run the drugs. That night Tim had underestimated the situation and things had gotten out of control with the mission and a few people were shot. One was killed, a young kid with a face of freckles, like Faith, who had been recruited to run drugs.

It was as if her world came crashing down around him. Tim had a relatively sheltered upbringing. Even being Robin he had seen some crazy things but there was something about that boy, laying there lifeless. A kid with no home, no place to go, like Faith. They were just trying to live in a world that had screwed them over.

Faith had lived almost 200 years as a kid like this boy. Having to scrounge and scrape just to get by. Have people who were supposed to protect them merely try to use them.

This boy could have been Faith.

And that thought chilled him to the bone.

That night she was laying in bed waiting for Tim to come home. She had been feeling uneasy all day and had been running around the building even trying out some of the workout equipment trying to relieve whatever was bothering her. So she was still up when he came back.

He had slowly walked into the room peeling off his clothes leaving a trail from the door to the bed. Stopping at the base of the bed he just stood there, watching Faith as she lay there sleeping.

Ok, so she wasn’t sleeping, she was laying there with her eyes half closed trying to see what he was doing while also trying to look like she was sleeping.

Gently Tim pulled a blanket that was folded at the bottom of the bed off and curled up on the floor. Let her have the bed tonight. He had known for months that she had been waking up and sleeping on the floor. He wasn’t sure why she was doing that but tonight he decided to take a break from his exposure therapy he had been doing and just let her sleep.

He assumed she would just sleep in peace, be happier without him there next to him. However, she sat up looking around.

“Tim?”

“Just stay there tonight,” he mumbled. She crawled to the end of the bed so she could look down at him.

“What happened?”

“It wasn’t good… a boy… they shot him. That… that could have been you” he covered his eyes with his arm trying to fight back tears.

Letting out a soft sigh she slowly climbed out of bed pulling two pillows with her. Then slowly, hesitantly, she snuggled under his blanket curing up resting her head against his chest. Her ear to his heart.

“Faith… what?” his heart was beating fast, as he tried to get up.

“Shhhhhhh” she whispered wrapping her arms around him, “just relax.”

They fell asleep like that, curled up on the floor wrapped up in each other’s arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It doesn't matter how old the dog is, they can all learn new tricks.

More time passed. More time than Faith felt comfortable admitting. Along with the fact that she was happy.

Maybe too happy.

They were sitting on the roof of Wayne mansion just talking, Faith was explaining to him about the stars. She told him about a captain who had taught her about how to navigate and showed her some tricks on how to always be able to tell where she was.

“I like it, they always stay the same, no matter how many years change these things are the same…” her voice trailed off caught up in a memory.

“Faith” he whispered brushing away a few stray strands of her brown hair, “I’m here for you, always” He leaned forward his eyes fluttering closed, swept up in the moment. Faith blinked as he slowly grew closer to her, his breath warm on her face. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn’t breathe. It was as if electricity was flowing through her body lighting her up. Slowly she mimicked his movements.

Then it was as if cold water washed over her. His hand gently covering hers. It was soft, sweet but it woke her from a dream. Broke her from the spell. She jolted away as if someone had slapped her across the face, “No” he frowned, confused studying her.

His eyes seemed to bore into her very soul as she pulled herself away from him. Retreating from months of slowly sitting closer to her, slowly getting her used to his touch. All the months of him trying to get her use to him being around seemed to crumble around him as she threw up her walls ever higher than before.

“I’m sorry” he mumbled feeling slightly sick, “I thought… I’m sorry I don’t want to pressure you.”

“No, it’s… no I’m not… “ she stood her body shaking, “I am not going to stay here. I like being alone, I don't’ need anyone.” He watched her, his own panic consuming him as he tried to stay calm.

“But, wait Faith!”

But she was already gone.

—-

“Good Morning”

Tim slowly opened his eyes to see Faith leaning over him. Her huge smile shining, hazel eyes looking down at him. He couldn’t help but smile back gently running his fingertips over the smattering of freckles across her nose. His heart racing as he felt his whole body light up at the image of her.

“Morning” he whispered back as his eyes drifted down her face to her arms. “You came back.”

“Yeah, I would never leave you.” she straddled him kissing him. He wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her closer to him. Feeling her warmth around him as he pulled her in. He had wanted this for so long, wanted her to accept him.

She broke the kiss to rested her head on his chest her body curled up on top of him. He played with her hair his nose filling with her scent. That beautiful wonderful smell that just seemed to calm him. They said everything about your soulmate complimented you and he agreed. From every freckle on her face to the way her body just seemed to fit around his as they laid there. His arm wrapped around her pulling her to him as tightly as he could.

Then he woke up.

And she wasn’t there. She had left him, like his family, like the millions of friends he had lost. Just like every other lost he had experienced he was once again alone.

He spend weeks trying to find her but she was an expert at hiding. She had 200 years of doing it. Erasing every bit of her existence from the world. Becoming just another nameless face in the crowd.

She had learned his tricks while living with him and she now knew how to avoid him. How to hide so that he couldn’t find her.

After months he gave up and buried himself in his work. Frustrated and hurt. But he had a new cause now, new motivation.

He would try and help all the other children like her, children who were left homeless and alone. Those who were cursed like that boy who had been killed. Children who had no other choice but to do anything they could to survive.

He started his crusade to help other street kids like her.

He was on one of the many missions to bust such a ring when he went missing. At first, Bruce and the others didn’t worry too much. It happened when he went undercover. Disappearing for a while. But when a week passed they realized something was wrong.

———

Faith had been working over the border in Canada as grocery store attendant at a small store. The woman had taken pity on her and had let her bag groceries in exchange for food. She knew if she could keep this up for a few more years she would be old enough to start getting a real job.

She had been in the back listening to one of the shipment guys swap stories when they called out for her to come help with a large order. As she walked up to the front she was met by Bruce.

“Tim may have treated you with kid gloves but I won’t be,” he told her dragging her out of the store.

“Let me go” she snapped pulling her arm out of his grasp. “I told him, I have lived too long alone, I can’t go backward.”

“You aren’t the only one who has lost family.” Bruce snapped, “Tim has lost people as well. Having a Soulmate is something you can’t just run away from.” 

She pulled away, “What do you know of loss, so you lost your parents at an early age, you now have a mansion on a hill filled with people who adore you and a city that loves you. I have had nothing but loss my whole life.”

Bruce pulled something out of his pocket showing her a picture, a picture of her family.

“Loss that you chose, you left a family that loved you, and with that the generations that followed.” She studied the picture.

“How did you?”

“Tony is my great great grandfather. You would have known this if you had stayed in that mansion filled with people.” He pulled the picture away putting it back in his pocket, “Tim cares about you and if that really isn’t enough for you to say at least come back to help me find him. I need your connections.”

“He’s missing?” her eyes flashed suddenly, fear gripping her and it felt like her heart had stopped again.

“Yes”

That was all he had to say, she was already halfway to his car.

—-

As they scoured the city for Faith’s Soulmate she slowly learned everything he had done. Helping so many kids get out of gangs and putting leaders to justice. Many of these kids now were attending schools and living in large boarding homes with brighter futures than the ones that had awaited them before.

They finally were able to track him to an old airport a few miles on the outskirts of Gotham proper. With the help of Bruce and Damian, they were able to break in and find Tim. While Batman and the newest boy wonder held off the goons Faith ran into the luggage basement to find Tim tied upland lying on the ground.

“Faith, you came back” Tim mumbled looking up, bloody, his right eye swollen and his right arm seemed to be at a slightly odd angle. Yet at that moment, she felt like he was the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

“I’m sorry” she mumbled as she untied him, “I’m never going to leave your side again”

“What?” he glanced at her, eyes wide with shock as she gently took his head in her hands.

“I promise,” she whispered, “I will never leave you.”

She kissed him, long and hard. Her heart racing so fast it felt like it was going to burst from her chest. He kissed her back pulling her close to him with his good arm. He kissed her as if he couldn’t believe she was real. He held her so close it felt like he would never let her go.

If had hadn’t been for the shooting pain from the several beatdowns he not have.

He smiled up at her when she broke away, “I love you,” he said his eyes never wavering from her’s. “I love you and I will never leave you.”


End file.
